Humidifying apparatus



May 18 1926.

R. FEBLES HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 17. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wnwessss:

May 18 1926. 1,585,476

' R. FEBLES HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS Original Filed NOV. 17, 1923 3 $h99t$-$h86t 2 flalnon/ nble-s, I'V/TNESSESI- I ,3 5 I I May 18 1926.

R. FEBLES HUMIDIFYINQ APPARATUS gvwanfoz .Ramon E5185,

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Fil N V- 17. 1923 Patented May 18, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,585,476 PATENT OFFICE.

- RAMON FEBLES, 0F PASSAIG, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JAMES Y.

BROWN AND ONE-THIRD T0 G. P. GILL.v

HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS.

Application filed November 17, 1923, Serial No. 675,414. Renewed January 12, 1926.

This invention relates to an improvement in tobacco humidifying apparatus for preserving cured leaf tobacco prior to manufacture.

The customary process for preparing tobacco wrappers, binders and fillers for manufacture of cigars usually involves dipping or spraying the tobacco with water. However, this practice is objectionable because it frequently results in the discoloration or spotting of the tobacco and also impairsthe flavor or aroma of the orginal leaf. Therefore, the present invention has primarily in view a novel apparatus for preserving the tobacco without its coming in contact with water and without using artificial air circulation to remove excess moisture, thereby providing a simple practical and reliable way for handling the tobacco and'keeping it in prime condition for a considerably moistened surfaces whereby the moisture longer period than is possible with the methods now generally in use.

Accordingly, a principal object of the invention is to provide a construction for keeping the tobacco moist without direct contact with water, depending upon the natural avidity of the leaf tobacco for moisture. That is to say, it is proposed to provide a container or housing in which the tobacco may be placed and surrounded with saturated air within the container will keep the leaf tobacco in the proper state forpreservation and handling, the confined and still air within the container being maintained at the point of approximate saturation and reaching all parts of the hand of cured tobacco so as to preserve for a considerable time its color, pliability and strength.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction and arrange ment of water jackets and humidifying wicks in combination with holders for the tobacco which permit of properly distributing the tobacco in the container and also enables the tobacco to be placed in and removed from the container with facility.

With the above and other-objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter-more fully described,.illustrated and claimed.

- tion.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through my improved humidifying apparatus. 1

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof. v

Figure 3 is a detail top plan view showing one'corner of the humidifying apparatus.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view showing another form of my humidifying apparatus, 'and i Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4. 1

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a humidifying container A of desired size carrying agent such as wicks E are disposed between the carrier D andthe surrounding receptacle C and have their ends respectively communicating with the water contained in both reservoirs B and C. Inasmuch as the basket or carrier D is of a foraminous vertically disposedwater reservoir C which is formed by an inner wall 10 and'a bottom 11. The inner wall 10 parallels the end and side walls of the tank and the bottom 11 is disposed above the bottom a of the tank. That portion of the tank below the honzontal plane containing the bottom 11 of the vertical reservoir G forms a resultant bottom water reservoir 'Which I have heretofore designated as B.

The tobacco carrier D is formed of mesh wire or other foraminous material and is of a size to freely fit within the surrounding vertically disposed water reservoir 0. This container is supported above the bottom water reservoir B through the medium of brackets 1212 which rest upon the bottom 5 of the tank. This container D comprises a bottom 13, end walls 14-14 and side walls 1515. Detachably supported by the side walls 15 through the medium of brackets 16 is a plurality of horizontally disposed upper and lower rods 17 and 18 for supporting long and short branches of tobacco.

As above stated, the water within the bottom reservoir B has direct contact with the air directly thereabove, In order to moisten the air within the tank toa greater degree I have provided a plurality of wicks E. There are four of these wicks, two of them being disposed between the end walls 14 of the container and the vertically dis posed water reservoir C, and the other two being disposed between the side walls 15 of the container and the vertically disposed water reservoir C. The lower ends of these wicks project downwardly into the bottom water reservoir B and the upper ends eX- tend over the wall 10 of the vertically disposed water reservoir C and into the water thereof, it bein understood, of course, that the reservoir (i is kept substantially filled with water. Thus, the wicks will draw water from the bottom reservoir B and from the vertical reservoir C and the carrier D will act as a guard to prevent direct contact between the tobacco and the wicks.

It may be desirable to moisten the air to a greater degree and to this end I have divided the tobacco container into a plurality of compartments F by means of partitions G'removably fitted in the guides G. Each of these partitions is preferably formed of wire mesh or other foraminous material, Each partition preferably consists of two sections 19-19 which are connected at their upper ends by hinges 20, and serve to clamp therebetween a wick 21. The bottom 13 of the container is formed with a plurality of transversely disposed slots 22 through which the lower ends of the wicks 21 project 1I]t 0 the water contained in the bottom reservoir B. These wicks 21 serve to carry the water upwardly and thereby moisten the air in close proximity to the tobacco contamed within the compartments.

The bottom reservoir B is provided with a drain valve 28 and with a high level outlot 24, the latter serving to prevent an excess rasaave amount of water being positioned within the bot-tom reservoir B. The vertically disposed water reservoir C is provided with a drain valve 25.

In the form illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, I have provided a tank X which includes a bottom 26, a vertically disposed end wall 27, an inclined end wall 28 and side walls 29, The tank includes a bottom reservoir H and a vertically disposed water reservoir 1. A tobacco container J is supported within the tank above the bottom reservoir H and this container includes an inclined end wall 30 which parallels the inclined end wall of the tank. This container J is divided into a plurality of tobacco compartments 31 by means of partitions K. These partitions K are similar to the partitions Gr except that they are disposed in an inclined plane parallel to the end wall 30 of the container. By this construction, the compartments 31 are inclined so as to permit the tobacco to be readily inserted and retained therein without the use of any supporting rods. The tobacco in this form of the invention, as in the previously described form is supported against direct contact with the water.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have provided a tobacco humidifying apparatus with means for subjecting the tobacco contained therein to the action of damp air; that the tobacco is supported against direct contact with the water; that the container may be readily inserted or removed; and that the construction is extremely simple and is, therefore, cheap to manufacture.

WVithout further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the in vention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will, of course, be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for conditioning leaf tobacco comprising a container having a cover and the bottom thereof constituting a lower water reservoir, an upper water reservoir surrounding the walls of the container, a foraminous basket removably supported within the container above the level of water in the lower reservoir, wicks arranged between the foraminous basket and the reservoir on the side walls of the container and having opposite ends respectively immersed ,in the water of the upper and the lower reservoirs, means for suspending leaf tobacco in the foraminous basket, and foraminous partitions dividing the foraminous basketinto a plurality of separate compartments, wicks carried by the foraminous partitions mamas and having their lower ends immersed in the water within the reservoir at the bottom of the container.

2. An apparatus for conditioning leaf tobacco comprising a water jacketed casing having a cover, a foraminous basket removably supported above the bottom of the container, means whereby the bottom 'of said container may be filled with a predetermined quantity of water, means for suspending leaf tobacco in the foraminous basket, and a plurality of removable combined partition and wick units removably fitted in the foraminousbasket whereby said wicks may be immersed in the water heneath the basket.

leaf tobacco 3. An apparatus for conditioning leaf tobacco including a water jacketed casing provided with a cover, and a removable foraminous basket supported within said casing and having a plurality of foraminous partitions, and'means for suspending the between said partitions.

4. An apparatus for conditioning leaf tobacco comprising a water jacketed casing having a cover, a foraminous basket removably supported within the casing and the 'bottom wall of said basket being provided withslots, a plurality of foraminous'partitions removably fitted within the basket, wick members carried by said foraminous partitions and having their lower end portionsgrojecting through the said slots.

5. n apparatus for conditioning leaf tobacco comprising a water jacketed casing having a cover, wick elements comfnunicating with said Water jacketed casing and surrounding the -interior thereof, supporting brackets in the bottom of the casing, a foraminous basket adapted to rest on said brackets and having a bottom wall provided with openings, a plurality of partition units adapted to removably fit in the basket at the location of said openings and comprising screen members hingedly connected together and a sheet-like wick member clamped between ,said screen members and passing through the openings in the bottom wall of the basket, and racks for suspending the leaf tobacco between said partitions.

6. A humidifying apparatus for leaf tobacco comprising a closed container, a perforate chamber within the container, means within the chamber for loosely suspending therein hands of leaf tobacco, water supplying reservoirs at the bottom, ends and sides of the container and moisture supplying wicking arranged about the sides and ends of the containers.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

RAMON FEBLES. 

